Guiding truck for locomotives



C. N. F. KNAPE GUID'ING TRUCK FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Aug. 8 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 1. 49.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR 7 ATTQRNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 C. N. F. KNAPE GUIDING TRUCK FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Aug. 8, 1922 Jan, 13. 1925.

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WITNESSES:

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Patented Jan. 13, 19215.

tiara CHARLES H. F. KNAIPE, 9F WILKINSBUEG, PENNSYLVAKIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIG & MANUFACTURING COMEANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIAG Application. filed August 8,

To aZZ w hom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Crmnnns N. F. KNAPin, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Guiding Trucks for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to guiding trucks for locomotives and particularly to means for effecting a relative transverse movement of the locomotive cab and trucks.

In the employment of locomotives having long wheel bases, flange wear at curves in the track is excessive, and the flanges of the wheels, as well as the heads of the rails, wear away rapidly.

Various methods have been proposed for eliminating this wear, including the provision of a plurality of articulated trucks beneath the cab body, and swing bolsters that permit the ends of the locomotive cab to move transversely of the truck frames on which they are supported, when the locomotive enters a curve. However, this procedure has not eliminated flange wear to the desired degree.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved form of positive steering device so that the swiveled trucks of a railway vehicle will more readily follow the curvature of the rails.

Another object of my invention is the provision of positive steering mechanism for a railway vehicle, that is automatically operable when the vehicle encounters a curve.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of an improved form of mechanism for shifting the position of a railway vehicle body relative to its supportingstructure.

As shown in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a View, partially in plan and partially in section, of a portion of a locomotive embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view, partially in front elevation and partially in section, of the rear truck shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view, partially in rear elevation and partially in section, of the rear truck,

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing, in section,

192%. Serial No. 580,408.

the construction of the valves which I employ.

The invention is particularly applicable to electric locomotives that are provided with articulated trucks that are mounted for swiveling movement about the usual center pins. Fig. 1 shows the front and the rear trucks of the locomotive, with the intermediate portion broken away and the locomotive cab removed. A rear truck 6 and a front truck 7 have articulating movement with respect to intermediate trucks (not shown) and represent the trailing and leading trucks, respectively, of a locomotive, but they may be located intermediate the ends of the locomotive.

The truck 6 is provided with the usual transoms or cross-ties 8 that are supported upon truck side frames 9 and carry pins 11 that support heart-links 12, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

A swing-bolster 3 is supported between the lower ends of each pair of heart-links 12 by means of pins 1 1. The swing-bolster 13 is provided with a flanged upstanding portion 15 that serves as a support for a centering plate 16 that is secured to a member 17 on the underside of a cab (not shown). A pin 18 holds the centering plate 16 in place upon the bolster 13 and such plate permits of swivel movement by the truck 6. By reason of the link structure above described, the swing bolster 13 and the cab body supported thereby may move transversely of the truck 6, about the pivot points 11 and 1 1, in the manner common to swing bolsters of this character.

A cylinder 19 is secured to one of the transoms 8 and is provided with two pistons 21 and 22 that have stems 23 and 24:, respectively, which slide in cross-heads 25 and 26 that are slidably supported within the cylinder 19. Air may be admitted to the cylinder through either of the admission ports 27 or 28, as will be hereinafter explained.

A lever 29 extends upwardly into the cylinder 19, between the cross-heads 25 and 26, and is secured at its lower end to a shaft 31. The shaft 31 is supported in bearings 32 and 33 that are formed in the lower portions of the transoms 8. A sleeve 35 is secured to the shaft 31 and is provided with teeth 36 that engage the teeth of a rack portion 37 formed upon the underside of the swing bolster 13, so that when rotative movement is impartedto the shaft 81, the swingbolster and the truck will be relatively moved transversely of the truck frame, about the pivot pins 14and 11, asabove explained.

The oscillation of theshaft 31 is effected bymeans of the pistons 21 and 22. When, for instance, the piston 21 is moved inwardly by the admission of fluid pressure through the port 27, the inner end of the stem 23. is brought into engagement with the lever 29 to effect a rota-tive movement of the sha ft 31and the toothed sleeve member 35 carried thereby; When the pressure .is relieved, acoil spring 38 will return the piston 21 to its retracted position. The operation of the piston 22 to cause movement of the shaft 31 in the opposite direction is effected in a similar manner, by admission of fluid pressure through the port 28.

The front truck 7 is provided with a swing bolster 41 that is supported upon transoms 42 by heart links 43', and has swivel connection with a member 44 that is secured to the underside of the cab, through a centering plate (not shown) that is supported by the bolster 41. This portion of the fronttruck 7 is substantially the same in construction as the corresponding portion of the truck 6, above described.

One of the transoms 42 carries an elec trical switch member 45 and two co-operat ing switch members 46 and 47, that are sup ported by the cab body (not shown). The switch member 45 is connected to a source of energy, such, for example, as a battery 48; Should the truck 7 enter a right-hand curve, it will swivel about the center pin (not shown), owing to the tendency of the cab to continue in a straight line, and the switch member 45 will move into engagement'with the contact member 47, thus completing a circuit through a conductor 49, a coil 51, and the battery 48. lVhen the truck 7 enters a left hand, curve, the switch member 45 will be carried into engagement with the contact member46 and complete a do cuit through a conductor 52, a coil'53 and the battery 48.

The coils 51 and 53 are each provided with a core 54 that has a. rack 55 formed thereon and is normally biased to retracted position by a spring 56.

The coil 51 serves to control the movements of a valve 57 through a gear wheel 58 that moveswith the rack 55. The valve 57 is provided with a port 59 that communicates with a fluid-pressure reservoir 61, a

port 62 that has communication, through a flexible pipe 63, with the admission port 28 of the-cylinder 19, and with an exhaust port-64.

Theicoil 53/ and its core; 54 control a valve 6 5. thathas a. port 66 which leads to the port 28 of the cylinder 19 and causing the piston 22 to move inwardly into engagement with the lever 29 and effectinga swinging movement of the bolster 13. This move ment, as above explained, will carry the rear end of the body transversely of the truck 6 and reduce the tendency ofthe body to maintain the trucks 6 and 7 in alinement,

thus permitting the trucks to more readily follow the curvature of the track. lVhen the locomotive leaves the curve, the circuit through the coil 51 will be broken, by reason of the switch parts assuming the positions illustrated in Fig. 1 and the spring 56 will return the rack 55 to retracted posit-ion, thus bringing the valve parts: "to the position illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the cylinder 19 may exhaust to the atmosphere and the piston 22 return, by the action'of its spring, to the position shown in Fig. '3.

Should the locomotive enter a left-hand curve, the circuit through the coil 53 will be closed and an operation similar to that above described effected, through. operation of the valve 65.

Should it be desired to apply the invention to a double-end locomotive, that is, one 5 designed to operate in either direct-ion, con

trol apparatus like that carriedby the front truck may be applied also to the rear truck and a guiding cylinder may be applied to he front truck. Furthermore, a guiding force may be applied at both ends simub taneously.

Various other modifications in detail and general arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the cab and trucks for carrying the cab, of a swing bolster supported upon one of the trucks, means for supporting thecab. upon the bolster, and means for automatically applying an extraneous force to the swing bolster when entering a curve in the track, for efiecting movement of the bolster in a transverse direction, and for eliminating the said force when the locomotive leaves the curve.

3. The combination with a locomotive cab and trucks for carrying the cab, of a swing bolster supported upon one of the trucks, means for supporting the cab upon the bolster, an air cylinder and piston for controlling the movements of the swing bolster, and means automatically actuated by swivel movements of the other truck for controlling the movements of the piston.

4. The combination with a locomotive cab and trucks {or carrying the cab, of a swing bolster supported upon one of the trucks, means for supporting the cab upon the bolster, an air cylinder and piston for controlling the movements of the swing bolster, and means automatically actuated upon swivel movements by one of the trucks for effecting movements of the piston.

5. The combination with a locomotive cab and trucks for carrying the cab, of aswing bolster supported upon one of the trucks, means for supporting the cab upon the bolster, an air cylinder and piston for controlling the movements of the swing bolster, an electromagnetically-operated valve for controlling the admission of fluid pressure to each end of the said cylinder, and means carried by the other truck for selectively controlling the circuits through the said electromagnetic valves.

6. The combination with a locomotive cab, of a swing bolster for supporting the cab, a rack carried by the bolster, a truck frame, a gear wheel supported in the truck frame and meshing with the rack, and means for imparting rotative movement to the gear wheel.

7. The combination with a locomotive cab, of a swing bolster for supporting the cab, a rack carried by the bolster to effect a transverse movement of the bolster, a truck frame, a gear wheel supported in the truck frame and meshing with the rack, and means for imparting rotative movement to the gear wheel.

8. The combination with a locomotive cab, of a swing bolster for supporting the cab, a rack carried by the bolster, a truck frame, a gear wheel supported in the truck frame and meshing with the rack, and a fluid-pressure cylinder and piston for imparting rotative movement to the gear wheel.

9. The combination with a locomotive cab, of a swing bolster for supporting the cab, a rack carried by the bolster, a truck frame, a gear wheel supported in the truck frame and meshing with the rack, a fiuid= pressure cylinder and piston for imparting rotative movement to the gear wheel, and means controlled by the movements of the cab with respect to its trucks for controlling the admission of fluid to the cylinder.

10. The combination with a locomotive cab, of a swing bolster, a truck for supporting the swing bolster, two interengaging members carried by the bolster and the truck respectively, and means for automatically effecting movement of one of said interengaging members when the locomotive enters a curve.

11. The combination with a locomotive cab and trucks for supporting the same, the cab being transversely movable with respect to one of the trucks, of means for applying a force to efiect a transverse movement of the cab with respect to the said truck.

12. The combination with a pair of trucks, of a cab supported thereupon for movement transversely of one of the trucks and means automatically operable when the locomotive enters a curve, for eii ecting said relative movement.

13. The combination with a locomotive cab, of a truck for supporting the cab, inter-engaging members carried by the cab and the truck respectively, and means for applying a force to one of the said interengaging members to effect a transverse movement by the cab with respect to the truck.

14:. The combination with a locomotive cab and trucks for carrying the same, of means for automatically applying an extraneous force to effect relative transverse movement of the cab and one of the trucks when the locomotive enters a curve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of July 1922.

CHARLES N. F. KNAPE. 

